Unique talents come into light at the budding stage itself. Mime Ramesh was no different. He learnt Yakshagana at a very early age and thus his association with theatre began. He performed proscenium plays and enlightened the people with his street plays all over Karnataka, as part of the 'Samudaya' group way back in the early seventies. He has had the opportunity to undergo training under stalwarts of art such as Sri Badal Sarkar, a great third theatre personality, Sri Kadri Vishnu, a famous Yakshagana artist, and Sri U S Krishna Rao, popular Bharatnatyam artist. It was then that he fell in love with what would give him utmost fame in the acting circles – Mime.
Ramesh has performed more than 500 one-man mime shows all over India. Some of the notable mime shows that he executed are Purna Chandra Tejaswi's Maya Mruga, P Lankesh's Rotti, adaptation of films such as Bicycle Thieves and French tele film Red Balloon, Peter Handek's Casper, Nicholoi Goloi's Over Coat, so on and so forth. A highlight of his mime career is his 90 minute nonstop mime show Quest For Glory, which he performed at the Kalamandir, Mysore in March 2007. The fact that he has directed shows on various topics for college students and amateur troupes, organized workshops and theatre camps, served as a guest faculty for diploma in film direction students for mime and acting, speaks for itself about his endeavors to pass on what he has learnt to successive generations. He is blessed to have been worked under veteran directors such as B V Karanth, Prasnna, M S Sathyu, , Fritz Bennevitz (Germany), Stukle (Germany), Vassili (USA), John Martyn (London), Illiana (Italy), and the like. Being an expert in Children's theatre, he visited Sweden to attend workshop in Children's Theatre. He was a part of Rangayana tour to USA, Germany & Austria.
A multifaceted personality that he is, Ramesh is skilled at performing various dance forms such as Yakshagana, Bharatnatyam, Kamsaale, Veeraghase, Kathakali, Bhoota Nruthya, Chao and a few styles of western dance forms as well. He is at ease with executing various theatre related aspects such as mask making, aerobics, stage designing, costume designing, choreography, direction, and of course, acting. The fact that he is familiar with yoga and martial arts (Katti Varse) also, does give you the impression that he is a jack of all trades in the true sense of the term.
Ramesh has been honoured with awards such as Ranga Karmi in the year 1989 presented to him at the event 'Kasaragodina Kalavidaru' by none other than the walking encyclopedia himself, Dr Shivaram Karanth. He is also the only Kannadiga to have received the Kalai Selvan award by the South Indian Artists Association, Chennai in the year 1997.
Contact : Mime Ramesh, E-23, Kalamandira Apartment,Vinobha Road, Mysore - 570005. Ph : 0821 - 2412398, Cell : +919448271066
